diff --git a/src/artifacts/DirectoryArtifactReader.ts b/src/artifacts/DirectoryArtifactReader.ts
index b96066adcb..b05795752a 100644
--- a/src/artifacts/DirectoryArtifactReader.ts
+++ b/src/artifacts/DirectoryArtifactReader.ts
@@ -404,8 +404,19 @@ export class DirectoryArtifactReader implements ArtifactReader {
           const [opened, named] = await Promise.all([
             file.stat({ bigint: true }),
             lstat(entry.adapterKey, { bigint: true }),
-          ]);
-          abortIfNeeded(signal);
+          ]).catch((validationCause: unknown) => {
+            if (outcome.kind !== "failed") throw validationCause;
+            throw new ArtifactReaderFailure(
+              "io",
+              `Directory inspection failed: ${failureMessage(outcome.cause)}; final source identity could not be validated: ${failureMessage(validationCause)}`,
+              {
+                cause: new AggregateError(
+                  [outcome.cause, validationCause],
+                  "Directory inspection and final source validation failed",
+                ),
+              },
+            );
+          });
           if (
             !opened.isFile() ||
             !named.isFile() ||
@@ -414,9 +425,11 @@ export class DirectoryArtifactReader implements ArtifactReader {
           )
             throw new ArtifactReaderFailure(
               "integrity",
-              `Directory entry changed during inspection: ${entry.path}`,
+              `Directory entry changed during inspection: ${entry.path}${outcome.kind === "failed" ? `; inspection failed: ${failureMessage(outcome.cause)}` : ""}`,
+              outcome.kind === "failed" ? { cause: outcome.cause } : {},
             );
           if (outcome.kind === "failed") throw outcome.cause;
+          abortIfNeeded(signal);
           return outcome.value;
         },
       );
diff --git a/src/artifacts/ZipArtifactReader.test.ts b/src/artifacts/ZipArtifactReader.test.ts
index 79da39efd1..fcf5600c34 100644
--- a/src/artifacts/ZipArtifactReader.test.ts
+++ b/src/artifacts/ZipArtifactReader.test.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,17 @@
 import { writeOrderedZip } from "../../tests/fixtures/artifactEntryOrder.js";
 import { zipSymlinkMetadataFixture } from "../../tests/fixtures/zipSymlinkMetadata.js";
-import { ArtifactReaderFailure } from "./ArtifactReader.js";
+import { ArtifactReaderFailure, type ArtifactEntry } from "./ArtifactReader.js";
+import { createDeferred } from "../../tests/fixtures/binarySession.js";
 import { readFile, writeFile } from "node:fs/promises";
 import { join } from "node:path";
+import { once } from "node:events";
 
 import {
   TextReader,
   Uint8ArrayReader,
   Uint8ArrayWriter,
   ZipWriter,
+  ZipReader,
 } from "@zip.js/zip.js";
 import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 
@@ -17,6 +20,8 @@ import { createTestTempDirectory } from "../../tests/fixtures/temporaryDirectory
 import { ZipArtifactReader } from "./ZipArtifactReader.js";
 import { openRegularFile } from "../filesystem/RegularFile.js";
 import { MINIMUM_ARTIFACT_EXPANDED_BYTES } from "../domain/artifactExpansionBudget.js";
+import { OwnedFileHandle } from "../filesystem/OwnedFileHandle.js";
+import { hashReadable } from "./ArtifactHash.js";
 
 /** Small real ZIP carriers with forged sizes; metadata-only controls, never decompressed. */
 const writeZipWithDeclaredSize = async (
@@ -55,6 +60,33 @@ const enumerate = async (reader: ZipArtifactReader): Promise<number> => {
   return files;
 };
 
+/** Hold real zip.js finalization after its streaming work settles. */
+const holdZipProducerSettlement = () => {
+  const reached = createDeferred<void>();
+  const release = createDeferred<void>();
+  const original = ZipReader.prototype.getEntriesGenerator;
+  const enumeration = vi
+    .spyOn(ZipReader.prototype, "getEntriesGenerator")
+    .mockImplementation(async function* (this: ZipReader<unknown>, options) {
+      for await (const entry of original.call(this, options)) {
+        if (!entry.directory) {
+          const getData = entry.getData.bind(entry);
+          entry.getData = async (writer, dataOptions) => {
+            try {
+              return await getData(writer, dataOptions);
+            } finally {
+              reached.resolve();
+              await release.promise;
+            }
+          };
+        }
+        yield entry;
+      }
+      return true;
+    });
+  return { reached: reached.promise, release: release.resolve, enumeration };
+};
+
 const admittedZip = async () => {
   const directory = await createTestTempDirectory("rea-zip-short-read-");
   const path = join(directory, "valid.zip");
@@ -392,3 +424,186 @@ it.each([null, { caller: "opaque ZIP interruption" }])(
     }
   },
 );
+
+describe("ZipArtifactReader producer ownership", () => {
+  it.each(["unread", "abandoned", "cancelled"] as const)(
+    "joins late extraction settlement for an %s stream before closing its source",
+    async (mode) => {
+      const directory = await createTestTempDirectory("rea-zip-producer-");
+      const path = join(directory, "member.zip");
+      const writer = new ZipWriter(new Uint8ArrayWriter());
+      await writer.add(
+        "member.bin",
+        new Uint8ArrayReader(new Uint8Array(256 * 1024)),
+        {
+          level: 0,
+        },
+      );
+      await writeFile(path, await writer.close());
+      const held = holdZipProducerSettlement();
+      const fileClose = vi.spyOn(OwnedFileHandle.prototype, "close");
+      const reader = new ZipArtifactReader(path, "zip");
+      const caller = new AbortController();
+      try {
+        const entries: ArtifactEntry[] = [];
+        for await (const entry of reader.entries()) entries.push(entry);
+        const stream = await reader.open(entries[0]!, caller.signal);
+        await once(stream, "readable");
+        const reason = { caller: "ZIP owner cancellation" };
+        if (mode === "cancelled") {
+          const digest = hashReadable(stream, caller.signal);
+          caller.abort(reason);
+          await expect(digest).rejects.toMatchObject({
+            reason: "cancelled",
+            cause: reason,
+          });
+        } else if (mode === "abandoned") {
+          for await (const _chunk of stream) break;
+        }
+        const closing = reader.close();
+        expect(reader.close()).toBe(closing);
+        await held.reached;
+        expect(stream.destroyed).toBe(true);
+        expect(fileClose).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+        let closed = false;
+        void closing.then(() => {
+          closed = true;
+        });
+        await Promise.resolve();
+        expect(closed).toBe(false);
+        held.release();
+        await closing;
+        expect(fileClose).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+        await reader.close();
+        expect(fileClose).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+        expect(() => reader.open(entries[0]!)).toThrow("ZIP reader is closed");
+      } finally {
+        held.release();
+        await reader.close();
+        held.enumeration.mockRestore();
+        fileClose.mockRestore();
+      }
+    },
+  );
+
+  it("retires completed buffered output and retries a failed descriptor close", async () => {
+    const directory = await createTestTempDirectory("rea-zip-buffered-close-");
+    const path = join(directory, "small.zip");
+    await writeOrderedZip(path, ["member.txt"]);
+    const held = holdZipProducerSettlement();
+    const reader = new ZipArtifactReader(path, "zip");
+    try {
+      const entries: ArtifactEntry[] = [];
+      for await (const entry of reader.entries()) entries.push(entry);
+      const stream = await reader.open(entries[0]!);
+      await held.reached;
+      held.release();
+      // getData has finished, but this tiny member remains buffered and unread.
+      await Promise.resolve();
+      const closeFailure = new Error("ZIP descriptor close denied");
+      const close = vi
+        .spyOn(OwnedFileHandle.prototype, "close")
+        .mockRejectedValueOnce(closeFailure);
+      try {
+        await expect(reader.close()).rejects.toBe(closeFailure);
+        expect(stream.destroyed).toBe(true);
+        await reader.close();
+        expect(close).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+      } finally {
+        close.mockRestore();
+      }
+    } finally {
+      held.release();
+      await reader.close();
+      held.enumeration.mockRestore();
+    }
+  });
+});
+
+it("joins an admitted ZIP enumeration before reader close completes", async () => {
+  const fixture = await admittedZip();
+  const reached = createDeferred<void>();
+  const release = createDeferred<void>();
+  const nativeRead = fixture.positional.read.bind(fixture.positional);
+  const reads = vi
+    .spyOn(fixture.positional, "read")
+    .mockImplementation(async (...args) => {
+      reached.resolve();
+      await release.promise;
+      return nativeRead(...args);
+    });
+  const reader = new ZipArtifactReader(fixture.path, "zip", undefined, fixture);
+  const traversal = reader.entries()[Symbol.asyncIterator]();
+  const next = traversal.next();
+  try {
+    await reached.promise;
+    let closed = false;
+    const closing = reader.close().then(() => {
+      closed = true;
+    });
+    await Promise.resolve();
+    expect(closed).toBe(false);
+    release.resolve();
+    await expect(next).rejects.toMatchObject({
+      reason: "unavailable",
+      message: "ZIP reader is closed",
+    });
+    await closing;
+    const completedReads = reads.mock.calls.length;
+    await expect(
+      reader.entries()[Symbol.asyncIterator]().next(),
+    ).rejects.toThrow("ZIP reader is closed");
+    expect(reads).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(completedReads);
+  } finally {
+    release.resolve();
+    await next.catch(() => undefined);
+    await reader.close();
+    reads.mockRestore();
+    await fixture.handle.close();
+  }
+});
+
+it("joins a late ZIP producer and closes the source despite an enumeration cleanup failure", async () => {
+  const directory = await createTestTempDirectory("rea-zip-mixed-cleanup-");
+  const path = join(directory, "mixed.zip");
+  await writeOrderedZip(path, ["member.txt"]);
+  const held = holdZipProducerSettlement();
+  const enumerate = held.enumeration.getMockImplementation()!;
+  const failure = new Error("ZIP enumeration finalization denied");
+  held.enumeration.mockImplementation(function (
+    this: ZipReader<unknown>,
+    options,
+  ) {
+    const source = enumerate.call(this, options);
+    const finish = source.return.bind(source);
+    vi.spyOn(source, "return").mockImplementationOnce(async (value) => {
+      await finish(value);
+      throw failure;
+    });
+    return source;
+  });
+  const fileClose = vi.spyOn(OwnedFileHandle.prototype, "close");
+  const reader = new ZipArtifactReader(path, "zip");
+  const traversal = reader.entries()[Symbol.asyncIterator]();
+  try {
+    const first = await traversal.next();
+    if (first.done) throw new Error("Expected ZIP member");
+    await reader.open(first.value);
+    await held.reached;
+    const closing = reader.close();
+    const failureCheck = expect(closing).rejects.toBe(failure);
+    await Promise.resolve();
+    expect(fileClose).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    held.release();
+    await failureCheck;
+    expect(fileClose).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    await reader.close();
+    expect(fileClose).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  } finally {
+    held.release();
+    await reader.close();
+    await traversal.return?.();
+    held.enumeration.mockRestore();
+    fileClose.mockRestore();
+  }
+});
diff --git a/src/artifacts/ZipArtifactReader.ts b/src/artifacts/ZipArtifactReader.ts
index dc03966bcf..9a7fc2fcd3 100644
--- a/src/artifacts/ZipArtifactReader.ts
+++ b/src/artifacts/ZipArtifactReader.ts
@@ -176,6 +176,10 @@ export class ZipArtifactReader implements ArtifactReader {
   readonly format: ZipPackageFormat;
   readonly #source: NodeFileReader;
   readonly #reader: ZipReader<string>;
+  readonly #streams = new Map<Readable, Promise<void>>();
+  readonly #enumerations = new Set<AsyncGenerator<Entry, void>>();
+  #closing = false;
+  #closePromise: Promise<void> | undefined;
   readonly #entries = new Map<
     string,
     { readonly source: Entry; readonly metadata: ArtifactEntry }
@@ -202,50 +206,60 @@ export class ZipArtifactReader implements ArtifactReader {
   }
 
   async *entries(signal?: AbortSignal): AsyncIterable<ArtifactEntry> {
+    this.#assertOpen(signal);
     let index = 0;
     // A traversal owns its accounting, including overlapping or repeated passes.
     let declaredFileBytes = 0;
-    for await (const entry of typedZipFailures(
+    const enumeration = typedZipFailures(
       this.#reader.getEntriesGenerator({ decodeText: decodeZipEntryText }),
-    )) {
-      assertArtifactReadActive(signal);
-      // ZIP member identity is its directory occurrence, not its filename.
-      // Logical path uniqueness belongs to the artifact inventory boundary.
-      const metadata = projectZipEntry(entry, index++);
-      if (metadata === undefined) continue;
-      // zip.js enforces each member's declared output size, so this sum bounds streamed work.
-      if (
-        metadata.kind === "file" &&
-        !metadata.encrypted &&
-        metadata.declaredSize !== null &&
-        Number.isSafeInteger(metadata.declaredSize) &&
-        metadata.declaredSize >= 0
-      ) {
-        declaredFileBytes += metadata.declaredSize;
-        const budget = artifactExpansionBudgetBytes(this.#source.size);
-        if (declaredFileBytes > budget)
+    );
+    this.#enumerations.add(enumeration);
+    try {
+      for await (const entry of enumeration) {
+        this.#assertOpen(signal);
+        // ZIP member identity is its directory occurrence, not its filename.
+        // Logical path uniqueness belongs to the artifact inventory boundary.
+        const metadata = projectZipEntry(entry, index++);
+        if (metadata === undefined) continue;
+        // zip.js enforces each member's declared output size, so this sum bounds streamed work.
+        if (
+          metadata.kind === "file" &&
+          !metadata.encrypted &&
+          metadata.declaredSize !== null &&
+          Number.isSafeInteger(metadata.declaredSize) &&
+          metadata.declaredSize >= 0
+        ) {
+          declaredFileBytes += metadata.declaredSize;
+          const budget = artifactExpansionBudgetBytes(this.#source.size);
+          if (declaredFileBytes > budget)
+            throw new ArtifactReaderFailure(
+              "limit",
+              `ZIP entries declare ${String(declaredFileBytes)} uncompressed bytes, exceeding this archive's ${String(budget)}-byte decompression budget (${String(MINIMUM_ARTIFACT_EXPANDED_BYTES)}-byte minimum, ${String(ARTIFACT_EXPANSION_RATIO)}x archive size); a small archive cannot expand this far`,
+            );
+        }
+        const stored = this.#entries.get(metadata.adapterKey);
+        if (
+          stored !== undefined &&
+          !sameArtifactEntry(metadata, stored.metadata)
+        )
           throw new ArtifactReaderFailure(
-            "limit",
-            `ZIP entries declare ${String(declaredFileBytes)} uncompressed bytes, exceeding this archive's ${String(budget)}-byte decompression budget (${String(MINIMUM_ARTIFACT_EXPANDED_BYTES)}-byte minimum, ${String(ARTIFACT_EXPANSION_RATIO)}x archive size); a small archive cannot expand this far`,
+            "integrity",
+            `ZIP member identity changed during enumeration: ${entry.filename}`,
           );
+        if (stored === undefined)
+          this.#entries.set(metadata.adapterKey, {
+            source: entry,
+            metadata: copyArtifactEntry(metadata),
+          });
+        yield metadata;
       }
-      const stored = this.#entries.get(metadata.adapterKey);
-      if (stored !== undefined && !sameArtifactEntry(metadata, stored.metadata))
-        throw new ArtifactReaderFailure(
-          "integrity",
-          `ZIP member identity changed during enumeration: ${entry.filename}`,
-        );
-      if (stored === undefined)
-        this.#entries.set(metadata.adapterKey, {
-          source: entry,
-          metadata: copyArtifactEntry(metadata),
-        });
-      yield metadata;
+    } finally {
+      this.#enumerations.delete(enumeration);
     }
   }
 
   open(entry: ArtifactEntry, signal?: AbortSignal): Promise<Readable> {
-    assertArtifactReadActive(signal);
+    this.#assertOpen(signal);
     const stored = this.#entries.get(entry.adapterKey);
     if (stored === undefined || !sameArtifactEntry(entry, stored.metadata))
       return Promise.reject(
@@ -266,13 +280,55 @@ export class ZipArtifactReader implements ArtifactReader {
           "Encrypted ZIP entry is unsupported",
         ),
       );
-    return Promise.resolve(extractStream(source, signal));
+    const { output, completion } = extractStream(source, signal);
+    this.#streams.set(output, completion);
+    // Producer completion can precede consumption of a small buffered member.
+    // Retain the output until both it and its producer have finished.
+    output.once("close", () => {
+      void completion.then(() => this.#streams.delete(output));
+    });
+    return Promise.resolve(output);
   }
 
-  async close(): Promise<void> {
+  close(): Promise<void> {
+    this.#closing = true;
+    this.#closePromise ??= this.#close().finally(() => {
+      // A failed descriptor close retains its owner for a later retry.
+      this.#closePromise = undefined;
+    });
+    return this.#closePromise;
+  }
+
+  async #close(): Promise<void> {
+    for (const output of this.#streams.keys())
+      output.destroy(
+        new ArtifactReaderFailure("unavailable", "ZIP reader closed"),
+      );
+    const outcomes = await Promise.allSettled([
+      ...this.#streams.values(),
+      ...Array.from(this.#enumerations, (enumeration) => enumeration.return()),
+    ]);
+    this.#enumerations.clear();
     // best-effort cleanup: zip-reader close must not mask prior extraction state.
     await this.#reader.close().catch(() => undefined);
-    await this.#source.closeHandle();
+    const failures = outcomes.flatMap((outcome) =>
+      outcome.status === "rejected" ? [outcome.reason as unknown] : [],
+    );
+    try {
+      await this.#source.closeHandle();
+      this.#entries.clear();
+    } catch (cause: unknown) {
+      failures.push(cause);
+    }
+    if (failures.length === 1) throw failures[0];
+    if (failures.length > 1)
+      throw new AggregateError(failures, "ZIP reader cleanup failed");
+  }
+
+  #assertOpen(signal?: AbortSignal): void {
+    assertArtifactReadActive(signal);
+    if (this.#closing)
+      throw new ArtifactReaderFailure("unavailable", "ZIP reader is closed");
   }
 
   provenance(): readonly [] {
@@ -377,8 +433,13 @@ const decodeStrictZipUtf8 = (bytes: Uint8Array, message: string): string => {
   }
 };
 
-const extractStream = (entry: FileEntry, signal?: AbortSignal): Readable => {
+const extractStream = (
+  entry: FileEntry,
+  signal?: AbortSignal,
+): { readonly output: Readable; readonly completion: Promise<void> } => {
   const output = new PassThrough();
+  // Reader retirement can precede a caller attaching its own error listener.
+  output.on("error", () => undefined);
   const controller = new AbortController();
   const onAbort = (): void => {
     controller.abort(signal?.reason);
@@ -392,9 +453,8 @@ const extractStream = (entry: FileEntry, signal?: AbortSignal): Readable => {
     );
   };
   signal?.addEventListener("abort", onAbort, { once: true });
-  // `close` covers both a consumer walking away mid-entry and normal completion
-  // after `end()`; aborting then is harmless because `getData` has already
-  // resolved, and it releases the producer in the abandoned-consumer case.
+  // A closed output cancels its producer; the reader separately awaits getData
+  // settlement before releasing the source descriptor.
   output.once("close", () => {
     signal?.removeEventListener("abort", onAbort);
     controller.abort();
@@ -412,15 +472,20 @@ const extractStream = (entry: FileEntry, signal?: AbortSignal): Readable => {
       output.destroy(toError(typedZipFailure(reason)));
     },
   });
-  void entry
+  const completion = entry
     .getData(writable, {
       signal: controller.signal,
       checkSignature: true,
       checkOverlappingEntry: true,
       onprogress: () => assertArtifactReadActive(signal),
     })
-    .catch((cause: unknown) => output.destroy(toError(typedZipFailure(cause))));
-  return output;
+    .then(
+      () => undefined,
+      (cause: unknown) => {
+        output.destroy(toError(typedZipFailure(cause)));
+      },
+    );
+  return { output, completion };
 };
 
 /** zip.js reports archive faults as plain errors identified by message. */
@@ -466,7 +531,7 @@ const typedZipFailure = (cause: unknown): unknown => {
 
 async function* typedZipFailures<T>(
   source: AsyncIterable<T>,
-): AsyncIterable<T> {
+): AsyncGenerator<T, void> {
   try {
     yield* source;
   } catch (cause: unknown) {
diff --git a/tests/boundary/filesystem/desktopApplication.test.ts b/tests/boundary/filesystem/desktopApplication.test.ts
index 3021aaacc8..906003e778 100644
--- a/tests/boundary/filesystem/desktopApplication.test.ts
+++ b/tests/boundary/filesystem/desktopApplication.test.ts
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import {
 import { locateGodotPck } from "../../../src/artifacts/GodotPckLocation.js";
 import { DirectoryArtifactReader } from "../../../src/artifacts/DirectoryArtifactReader.js";
 import { ArtifactReaderFailure } from "../../../src/artifacts/ArtifactReader.js";
+import { artifactFilePrimaryFacts } from "../../../src/artifacts/ArtifactFileOperation.js";
 import { DesktopApplicationReader } from "../../../src/artifacts/DesktopApplicationReader.js";
 import { DesktopApplicationService } from "../../../src/application/artifacts/DesktopApplicationService.js";
 
@@ -749,6 +750,164 @@ it("preserves the selected root alias and directs follow-ups to the admitted phy
   }
 });
 
+it.each(
+  ["physical read", "format"].flatMap((variant) =>
+    ["unavailable", "mismatch"].map((validationState) => ({
+      variant,
+      validationState,
+    })),
+  ),
+)(
+  "keeps $variant failure through $validationState final validation while discarding unverified desktop byte facts",
+  async ({ variant, validationState }) => {
+    const root = await createTestTempDirectory(
+      "rea-desktop-failed-validation-",
+    );
+    const header = Buffer.alloc(20);
+    header.write("GDPC");
+    header.writeUInt32LE(2, 4);
+    header.writeUInt32LE(4, 8);
+    await put(root, "game.pck", header);
+    const primary =
+      variant === "physical read"
+        ? Object.assign(new Error("physical read denied"), { code: "EACCES" })
+        : new ArtifactReaderFailure(
+            "format",
+            "invalid later format declaration",
+          );
+    const validation = Object.assign(
+      new Error("final descriptor stat failed"),
+      { code: "EIO" },
+    );
+    let observed: unknown;
+    const service = new DesktopApplicationService(
+      new DesktopApplicationReader((path) => {
+        const reader = new DirectoryArtifactReader(path);
+        const inspectFile = reader.inspectFile.bind(reader);
+        reader.inspectFile = (entry, inspect, signal) =>
+          inspectFile(
+            entry,
+            async (file) => {
+              await inspect(file);
+              if (validationState === "unavailable")
+                vi.spyOn(file, "stat").mockRejectedValueOnce(validation);
+              else {
+                const changed = await file.stat({ bigint: true });
+                changed.ino += 1n;
+                vi.spyOn(file, "stat").mockResolvedValueOnce(changed);
+              }
+              if (variant === "physical read") {
+                vi.spyOn(file, "read").mockRejectedValueOnce(primary);
+                await file.read(Buffer.alloc(4), 0, 4, 0);
+              }
+              throw primary;
+            },
+            signal,
+          ).catch((cause: unknown) => {
+            observed = cause;
+            throw cause;
+          });
+        return reader;
+      }),
+    );
+    try {
+      const result = await service.inspect({ path: root });
+      expect(observed).toMatchObject({
+        reason: validationState === "unavailable" ? "io" : "integrity",
+      });
+      if (validationState === "unavailable")
+        expect((observed as ArtifactReaderFailure).cause).toMatchObject({
+          errors: [primary, validation],
+        });
+      else expect((observed as ArtifactReaderFailure).cause).toBe(primary);
+      if (!result.ok) throw result.error;
+      const report = desktopApplicationSchema.parse(
+        result.value.normalized_result,
+      );
+      expect(report.coverage.status).toBe("partial");
+      expect(report.files[0]).toMatchObject({
+        read_status: "unavailable",
+        ranges: [],
+      });
+      expect(
+        report.files[0]?.facts.filter((fact) => fact.offset !== null),
+      ).toEqual([]);
+      expect(report.files[0]?.issues.join(" ")).toContain(primary.message);
+      expect(report.files[0]?.issues.join(" ")).toContain(
+        validationState === "unavailable"
+          ? validation.message
+          : "Directory entry changed during inspection",
+      );
+      expect(report.candidates).toEqual([]);
+    } finally {
+      await service.close();
+      vi.restoreAllMocks();
+    }
+  },
+);
+
+it.each([false, true])(
+  "preserves a physical desktop read failure when cancellation arrives during final validation (failed close: %s)",
+  async (failedClose) => {
+    const root = await createTestTempDirectory(
+      "rea-desktop-read-final-validation-",
+    );
+    await put(root, "game.pck", Buffer.from("completed source prefix"));
+    const reader = new DirectoryArtifactReader(root);
+    const entries = [];
+    for await (const entry of reader.entries()) entries.push(entry);
+    const controller = new AbortController();
+    const reason = { phase: "after physical read failure" };
+    const physical = Object.assign(new Error("physical read denied"), {
+      code: "EACCES",
+    });
+    let fileHandle: Awaited<ReturnType<typeof open>> | undefined;
+    let denyClose = failedClose;
+    try {
+      const failure: unknown = await reader
+        .inspectFile(
+          entries[0]!,
+          async (file) => {
+            fileHandle = file;
+            const stat = file.stat.bind(file);
+            file.stat = ((...args: Parameters<typeof file.stat>) => {
+              controller.abort(reason);
+              return stat(...args);
+            }) as typeof file.stat;
+            const close = file.close.bind(file);
+            file.close = async () => {
+              if (denyClose) throw new Error("desktop descriptor close denied");
+              await close();
+            };
+            vi.spyOn(file, "read").mockRejectedValueOnce(physical);
+            await file.read(Buffer.alloc(4), 0, 4, 0);
+          },
+          controller.signal,
+        )
+        .catch((cause: unknown) => cause);
+      expect(controller.signal.reason).toBe(reason);
+      expect(failure).toMatchObject({ reason: "io" });
+      const primary = artifactFilePrimaryFacts(failure).cause;
+      if (failedClose) expect(primary).toBe(physical);
+      else expect(primary).toMatchObject({ cause: physical });
+      if (failedClose) {
+        expect(failure).toMatchObject({
+          cleanup: { resources: [entries[0]!.adapterKey] },
+        });
+        await expect(reader.close()).rejects.toBeDefined();
+        expect(fileHandle!.fd).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(0);
+      }
+      denyClose = false;
+      await reader.close();
+      expect(fileHandle!.fd).toBe(-1);
+    } finally {
+      denyClose = false;
+      await reader.close();
+      vi.restoreAllMocks();
+    }
+  },
+);
+
 it.each([false, true])(
   "retains verified header facts and exact release authority when file close fails (late cancellation: %s)",
   async (cancelDuringClose) => {